Incantation

Formed in the late 1980s in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Incantation developed a very dark strain of American death metal, marked by doom-leaning slow tempos, sudden bursts of speed, and a dense, occult-tinged sound. Led by guitarist and vocalist John McEntee, the band has undergone numerous lineup changes while remaining active on the North American and later international extreme scenes, moving between club tours, specialized festivals, and underground networks. As early as Onward to Golgotha (1992), Incantation set an aesthetic built on thick riffs, often labyrinthine structures, and a pronounced use of low registers, carried forward on Mortal Throne of Nazarene (1994) and Diabolical Conquest (1998). Subsequent albums—including The Infernal Storm (2000), Decimate Christendom (2004), Vanquish in Vengeance (2012), Profane Nexus (2017), and Sect of Vile Divinities (2020)—confirm a stylistic throughline that blends slow, crushing death metal with faster passages and dissonant atmospheres. With Unholy Deification (2023), Incantation continues on this path, slightly updating the production without altering the framework of its writing, keeping the band in step with contemporary death metal scenes while remaining rooted in its 1990s origins.